Alternate Member, Mineral/Energy Stakeholder

Kevin Simpson is an alternate member of the Department of Interior’s Royalty Policy Committee, and as a member of this committee advises Secretary Zinke “on policy and strategies to improve management of the multi-billion dollar, federal and American Indian mineral revenue program.”

Alaska native Kevin Simpson holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Gonzaga University and a J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Simpson worked in Washington D.C., first as an energy advisor to Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) and then as Senior Republican Counsel on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he worked for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on oil and gas issues. Since 2012, Simpson has worked for Shell Oil Company “on gas monetization projects.”

In November 2012, Kevin Simpson left public service to work for Shell Oil Company for a salary between $250,000 and $100,001 a year, plus a “signing bonus” worth between $100,000 and $50,001. Shell Oil is “the second-largest oil and gas company” in the world.

Political Connections

Kevin Simpson has contributed over $7,000 to conservative candidates and causes around the country, including Mitt Romney, Sean Parnell, Marco Rubio, Garret Graves, and the Alaska Republican Party.

Since 2012, Kevin Simpson has contributed over $7,000 to conservative candidates and causes around the country, including Mitt Romney, Sean Parnell, Marco Rubio, Garret Graves, the Shell Oil Employees PAC, and the Alaska Republican Party. [Search for Kevin Simpson, CQ Political Moneyline, accessed 09/27/17 and Search for Kevin Simpson, National Institute on Money in State Politics, accessed 09/27/17]

Kevin Simpson worked on oil and natural gas issues for Senator Lisa Murkowski for years, and in 2015, contributed $2,500 to her reelection campaign.

Kevin Simpson worked on oil and natural gas issues for Senator Lisa Murkowski for nearly four years, from 2009 to 2012. After moving on to work for Shell Oil, Simpson contributed $2,500 to Lisa Murkowski’s reelection campaign in 2015. [LinkedIn Profile for Kevin Simpson, accessed 12/06/17, and Search for Kevin Simpson, CQ Political Moneyline, accessed 12/06/17]

Current Activity

Potential Conflict of Interest:

Kevin Simpson works for Shell Oil as “a senior adviser on gas monetization projects” in New Orleans. As an alternate member of Interior’s Royalty Policy Committee, Simpson will be advising Zinke “on policy and strategies to improve management of the multi-billion dollar, federal and American Indian mineral revenue program.” Holding these two positions simultaneously could be a potential conflict of interest. [John McArdle, “Lawyer set to return to Hill as Murkowski’s committee counsel,” Energy & Environment News, 10/19/12 and Department of Interior, Press Release, 09/01/17]